How is Richard Montgomery if you're not in IB?

[Anonymous]

Thank-you to the 2 PP. -signed An RM parent by choice.

[Anonymous]

Again, going to a W school vs. RM will not improve your SAT scores, or your AP scores etc. Kids with rich educated parents will do well. W schools have more rich parents than other schools. The quality of instruction or curriculum per se is not superior - so this whole concept of better school does not fly with me.

RMIB magnet is an exceptional program. It would be an exceptional program regardless of which school housed it. It draws kids from all over MCPS and since it is based on merit not zip code, these are kids who are proven quantities. And, frankly - good for them. It is a gruelling program.

[Anonymous]

Then all those kids in the RMIB program must be rich.

Stop talking out of your ass. It is more than just money. The parents of many of the W kids are well educated and know what it takes to succeed academically. That is what drives them, not money for SAT prep. RM families have money as well for SAT prep.

Stop trying to defend your school. Everyone says it is a good school but it is not Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you RM parents are reading too much into these posting. Your insecurities are showing. I think the point has been made that RM, although a really good school, is probably just above average if you removed the IB program. In the same token, if you removed the magnet program from Blair then Blair would probably drop off a cliff. Now way Blair has 30+ NMSF without the magnet program and no way RM has 40 NMSF without the IB program. The average SAT, AP scores, college placements at both school would just drop. RM would become a peer of Sherwood, Magruder and Quince Orchard. Blair would not have a peer in MoCo. Yet, Whitman and Churchill would still produce they type of kids they have always produced. Wootton and WJ would also continue to do well. Again, OP asked about RM sans IB. My answer is that the program is okay it is not one of the top schools in MoCo.

Sorry if that hurts but that is the reality.

+1 Very true

Another +1 from me. The IB just covers up how atrocious the GENERAL population of students at RM is.

Really? Are you a teacher or parent at RM? I would hope that you are, if you're going to make a statement like that. Otherwise, it lacks credibility. It may very well be the case that W s are more rigorous and have more motivated kids than RM w/out IB, but the question is whether RM is the type of school that should be avoided? I think no. A good kid will do we'll there. There is everything in place to reach everyone's full potential and no hindrances.

You people are really having a difficult time with this. Please see the original post. RM is a good school w/o the IB and not a school to be avoided. It is a better than average school -- In between the Ws and the Rockvilles, Northwests, etc. of MoCo. Again, taking out the IB kids, the median SAT, which is already below the W median, is likely to drop several hundred points. The numbers don't lie. RM sans IB is just an above average school in MoCo. Even WJ, which is the weakest of the Ws created its own magnet program (APEX). So to answer the question of the posters above -- Do the W have special programs that don't exist elsewhere? Yes, some of the W schools do have programs. Within the magnet group of 50+ per year, the average SAT is ~2100 (see link). That compares favorably with the median IB SAT. http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/wjhs/programs/apex/APEX_Profile.pdf
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/rmhs/ib/2013-14%20IB_Insert.pdf

I think most people don't have a problem with the point you're making. Okay, so RM isn't as strong as the W schools. For me the difference was small enough that it wasn't a problem. For others, it might be. We all have to draw the line somewhere, and it won't always be in the same place.

Where posters (or at least, I) have a problem is with posts that refer to Rockville as "the hood" or the non-IB students at RM as "atrocious." That's not only incredibly ugly, it also displays a rather glaring disconnect from reality.

I used the word "hood" earlier. In my view, "hood" means "real world." There are parts of Rockville that are less prosperous than others. There is nothing wrong with that but it does shape the demographics of the school and from my own personal experience, some of the kids in those neighborhoods, don't have the same goals and some of the kids in King Farm and other nicer/suburban neighborhoods. That is just the reality and that reality will impact the student body at RM. I also know many high caliber students at RM who are not in IB.

To RM alumn, I am glad that you had a good experience at RM and that you plan to send your kids there.

Let's be real here -- We are lucky to have the academic options we do have in MoCo. Doesn't matter whether you are Silver Spring, Rockville, Bethesda or Olney. Good, focused students have great schools (private and public) from which to chose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again, going to a W school vs. RM will not improve your SAT scores, or your AP scores etc. Kids with rich educated parents will do well. W schools have more rich parents than other schools. The quality of instruction or curriculum per se is not superior - so this whole concept of better school does not fly with me.

RMIB magnet is an exceptional program. It would be an exceptional program regardless of which school housed it. It draws kids from all over MCPS and since it is based on merit not zip code, these are kids who are proven quantities. And, frankly - good for them. It is a gruelling program.

So I'd assume you're okay with your kids going to Anacostia or Wheaton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, going to a W school vs. RM will not improve your SAT scores, or your AP scores etc. Kids with rich educated parents will do well. W schools have more rich parents than other schools. The quality of instruction or curriculum per se is not superior - so this whole concept of better school does not fly with me.

RMIB magnet is an exceptional program. It would be an exceptional program regardless of which school housed it. It draws kids from all over MCPS and since it is based on merit not zip code, these are kids who are proven quantities. And, frankly - good for them. It is a gruelling program.

So I'd assume you're okay with your kids going to Anacostia or Wheaton?

My kids applied to magnet programs and got into it. So, I don't have to sweat it and worry about which ES, MS or HS. If they were not good students they would have gone to any MCPS school. Yeah, I would not mind them going to any school - because the truth is they need to also learn what the real world looks like and how to get along with everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then all those kids in the RMIB program must be rich.

Stop talking out of your ass. It is more than just money. The parents of many of the W kids are well educated and know what it takes to succeed academically. That is what drives them, not money for SAT prep. RM families have money as well for SAT prep.

Stop trying to defend your school. Everyone says it is a good school but it is not Whitman.

If I am talking out of my ass and you can actually understand me - what does that make you?

Yes, there are lots of RM parents who are rich, and their kids are doing very well. There are numerically more kids in Whitman whose parents are rich, and they are doing as well as the RM kids with rich parents.

Most kids in RMIB magnet program are also from well to do families. And then there are some who are from economically disadvantaged families. RMIB magnet is a class apart because these kids are brainier and smarter. There are a number of kids whose home school is a W school, but they are going to the program. Why are you SO ANGRY about it?

Let me give you an example so that all this makes sense to you. Rich women are able to afford expensive clothes, makeup, hair and beauty treatments. Majority of these women look very good. Then there are real beauties who are not rich, but look stunning and better than the rich women. Think of RMIB kids as the same as the natural stunners - but academically.

Got it -Psycho?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Again, going to a W school vs. RM will not improve your SAT scores, or your AP scores etc. Kids with rich educated parents will do well. W schools have more rich parents than other schools. The quality of instruction or curriculum per se is not superior - so this whole concept of better school does not fly with me.

RMIB magnet is an exceptional program. It would be an exceptional program regardless of which school housed it. It draws kids from all over MCPS and since it is based on merit not zip code, these are kids who are proven quantities. And, frankly - good for them. It is a gruelling program.

So I'd assume you're okay with your kids going to Anacostia or Wheaton?

Good grief. RM is not Wheaton. And Wheaton is not Anacostia. And given that 80% of students at Wheaton have been on FARMS at some point in their life (and 57% are now on FARMS), I think it's very impressive that over a third of the students are enrolled in AP classes -- of which Wheaton offers 18. http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/wheatonhs/departments/aphonors/ Hey, do you suppose that the teaching might be better at Wheaton than at Whitman?

[Anonymous]

You people are clueless. You are so wrapped up in trying to defend RMIB. Again, you fools, no one said RMIB was not the great program that it is. Per OP's question, the non-IB RM is an average program - check SAT scores, AP pass rates, etc.

For those who believe that a school will not improve an SAT score -- you are a fool. We have already discussed how the culture at some of these schools drives kids to succeed academically. Please tell me that the culture of academic success at Whitman and Rockville are he same. Yes, Whitman has better teachers. Talk to teachers and ask them where they would like to teach, Kennedy or WL? The majority will chose WJ. Why? Because WJ has a reputation for having serious students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are clueless. You are so wrapped up in trying to defend RMIB. Again, you fools, no one said RMIB was not the great program that it is. Per OP's question, the non-IB RM is an average program - check SAT scores, AP pass rates, etc.

For those who believe that a school will not improve an SAT score -- you are a fool. We have already discussed how the culture at some of these schools drives kids to succeed academically. Please tell me that the culture of academic success at Whitman and Rockville are he same. Yes, Whitman has better teachers. Talk to teachers and ask them where they would like to teach, Kennedy or WL? The majority will chose WJ. Why? Because WJ has a reputation for having serious students.

How do you know that Whitman has better teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are clueless. You are so wrapped up in trying to defend RMIB. Again, you fools, no one said RMIB was not the great program that it is. Per OP's question, the non-IB RM is an average program - check SAT scores, AP pass rates, etc.

For those who believe that a school will not improve an SAT score -- you are a fool. We have already discussed how the culture at some of these schools drives kids to succeed academically. Please tell me that the culture of academic success at Whitman and Rockville are he same. Yes, Whitman has better teachers. Talk to teachers and ask them where they would like to teach, Kennedy or WL? The majority will chose WJ. Why? Because WJ has a reputation for having serious students.

No. Most teachers dread the parents at Whitman. The best teachers will choose RM over Whitman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No. Most teachers dread the parents at Whitman. The best teachers will choose RM over Whitman.

Some teachers like the challenges presented by teaching in a lower SES school (not necessarily RM but perhaps Wheaton or JFK). Others prefer teaching in the W's and dealing with more "involved" parents. The best teachers thrive in either environment.

There are a LOT more experienced master teachers, those who are the "best" teachers, who line up to fill vacancies at the W's than line up to fill vacancies at other MCPS high schools. I see it every year.

[Anonymous]

+1 - This has been my experience with the teachers in MoCo that I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No. Most teachers dread the parents at Whitman. The best teachers will choose RM over Whitman.

Some teachers like the challenges presented by teaching in a lower SES school (not necessarily RM but perhaps Wheaton or JFK). Others prefer teaching in the W's and dealing with more "involved" parents. The best teachers thrive in either environment.

There are a LOT more experienced master teachers, those who are the "best" teachers, who line up to fill vacancies at the W's than line up to fill vacancies at other MCPS high schools. I see it every year.

But RM has involved parents with out being total bitches. So involved and cooperative trumps involved involved and demanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No. Most teachers dread the parents at Whitman. The best teachers will choose RM over Whitman.

Some teachers like the challenges presented by teaching in a lower SES school (not necessarily RM but perhaps Wheaton or JFK). Others prefer teaching in the W's and dealing with more "involved" parents. The best teachers thrive in either environment.

There are a LOT more experienced master teachers, those who are the "best" teachers, who line up to fill vacancies at the W's than line up to fill vacancies at other MCPS high schools. I see it every year.

But RM has involved parents with out being total bitches. So involved and cooperative trumps involved involved and demanding.

Nice try, but wrong. If there's an opening at a W school and an opening at RM (non-IB) in the same department, I guarantee that the W school will receive many more applications for an open season transfer than RM. A LOT more. Incidently, very few parents at the W schools are "total bitches." Most are extremely pleasant and very helpful. I deal with them almost every day.